Conventional ‘keyless’ type electronic lock systems require an initial setup, and therefore it is necessary to have someone available to program the lock to allow access for each card, therefore causing operating costs to increase. Most facilities with paid keycard access require an employee to initially input customer information and mode of payment before issuing the keycards that would allow subsequent entry. This data collection and entry is routine, these personal tasks require 24 hour staff for a facility to truly allow 24 hour registration and first time access. Operating budgets at these facilities/buildings could be utilized for other activities if the staff did not have to be present for data entry and keycard setup.
Security is an issue in multiple forms in the conventional ‘keyless’ system. For one, generic keycards are not given the same concern regarding loss and/or use by other individuals as the level of concern and care a person utilizes with their own credit/debit cards. This lack of concern can lead to unauthorized use by other persons not associated with the card, whether the user voluntarily allowed the use of his/her card or the card was lost or stolen. Unauthorized users create liability concerns along with the increased potential for building and/or equipment damage and loss. Also, in conventional ‘keyless’ systems when a person uses a credit card, card data security is an issue because somewhere in the process a person and/or employee may be able to see confidential credit and/or debit card data if either of these types of cards are used for payment.
Further, there are multiple devices (kiosks) that perform some function after acceptance of a credit or debit card authorized payment. Some notable current devices that perform operations based on this premise include pay-at-the-pump gas station pumps, movie rental kiosks, pay-for-use copy machines and internet cafes.